Blue Steal

by Marnie St Clair

  He was trapped in a coffin and the walls were closing in. The rock and the hard place were kicking his arse. He’d decided not to say anything until he had more evidence, but that was before Lewis had made lunch plans for today.

  What was he supposed to do now?

  He had to tell Selina. He couldn’t allow her to walk into the spider’s lair blind.

  He wanted to trust her, especially after last night, but … He’d been to her home. He’d met nonna, he’d seen Anna. He’d seen for himself what was at stake.

  She needed the Holloway money. Desperately.

  She wouldn’t give it up easily.

  Standing here glaring down at her wasn’t going to help the situation. He released her shoulders, forced what he hoped passed for a smile onto his face and tried for a moderate tone of voice. ‘Weren’t you listening to Keith yesterday? Lewis is bad news.’

  ‘Oh, come on, Jack,’ she laughed. ‘That was fifty years ago. They were teenagers. And it was all from Keith’s point of view. He clearly didn’t like Lewis. I don’t think we can assume he’s the most unbiased of witnesses.’

  ‘Sounds like he had his reasons,’ he pressed lightly.

  ‘Of course there are reasons. Arseholes like Keith are born to bully and funny ducks like Lewis are born to cop it.’

  Lewis might be a ‘funny duck’, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t also dangerous. Insides churning, still attempting to keep cool, he pushed a little further. ‘That stuff with the fire? Sounded like more than that to me.’

  She looked up at him, arms across her chest, head tilted to the side, eyes narrowed. ‘You know what it sounded like to me? Like Keith and his friends bullied Lewis relentlessly until he snapped.’

  ‘He started a fire, Selina, and burned thousands of dollars’ worth of uniforms and equipment.’

  ‘They poured a bucket of pee all over him! Who could blame him?’

  Taking a deep breath, raking his hands through his hair, he pushed on. ‘His own brother didn’t like him.’

  ‘Again, according to Keith. Andrew was a popular kid with a less-than-cool sibling. It was just teenage stuff. They would have sorted it out.’

  He expelled a gust of air, almost tearing his hair with frustration. This wasn’t working. He needed a new tack. ‘Look, Selina, I know you’re desperate to come up with money for Anna. I know Lewis is worth gazillions, but—’

  ‘You think this is just about the money? That I’m using Lewis?’ She looked offended. ‘It’s not like that. He’s family.’

  ‘You don’t know him.’ His voice was raised, the cool he was striving for rapidly unravelling. He tried again. ‘You don’t know Lewis, and I’m just saying …’

  Head tilted, she glared up at him through narrowed eyes, waiting.

  ‘What I’m trying to say is …’ He trailed off again.

  He had to tell her. He couldn’t tell her. The walls were squeezing in.

  ‘What are you trying to saying, Jack?’

  ‘I want you to stay away from him.’

  She threw her hands up in frustration, a gesture so incredibly Italian he would have laughed in different circumstances. ‘This is nuts. Are you honestly suggesting I walk away from one of my only living relatives, one who wants to get to know me and offer me a great opportunity because he wasn’t popular in high school?’

  ‘Do you seriously think that’s it?’ His voice was loud, as if some part of him had decided if he couldn’t say the words he wanted, it’d help if he turned up the volume on what he could say.

  ‘Well, what then?’ Hands on hips, body language screaming confrontation.

  He was losing it, and this time, he didn’t seem to be able to pull himself back. ‘I don’t like him. I don’t want you to see him.’

  Her eyes widened in disbelief. ‘Let me get this straight. You think because we slept together you get a say in who I see?’ She shook her head in anger and frustration. ‘I didn’t pick you for the controlling type.’

  He wasn’t the controlling type—Lewis was.

  This wasn’t working. He wasn’t getting through to her and he was running out of new tactics to try.

  And Selina was running out of patience. ‘You know what? I’ve had enough of this conversation.’

  He’d blown it. He should have told her the truth when they were both still calm. She’d stopped trusting what he had to say about Lewis, and if he tried with the truth now, she wouldn’t believe him.

  ‘See you later, Jack.’

  And now, she was ready to walk. Fuck. He couldn’t let her go. His hand shot out and clamped around her wrist. She gave it and then him a scornful glance.

  ‘I’ll pay you.’ The words burst from his lips. ‘Just stay away from him.’

  She flinched, her cheeks paled, like his metaphoric slap had been a real one. ‘Pay me? As in, for services rendered?’ Quiet intense words. Her anger had cooled and condensed to ice.

  ‘That’s not what I meant.’ Wrong thing to say. He’d chosen the wrong thing to say. ‘I meant I’ll give you the money. Whatever you need for your sister, I’ll give it to you. Just stay away from Lewis.’

  It was too late. He’d been desperate and he’d grappled for anything that seemed like it might have a shot, but his offer had backfired.

  He should have known better. With everything he knew about her history with men, the way she so disparaging referred to herself as a gold digger, the fact that they’d just had sex … Fuck.

  ‘Selina …’ he started. But it was too late. He’d lost her.

  ‘Goodbye, Jack.’

  She walked, off to participate in another episode of Lewis’s twisted version of The Apprentice.

  What now?

  Choice time.

  He could run after her. He could tell her the truth. If she believed him, if she trusted him, he could keep her safe.

  But if she didn’t … Best case scenario, she laughed it off. Worst case scenario, she told Lewis, warned him of Jack’s suspicions. Which could very well destroy their chances of putting him away for good. In trying to keep Selina safe today, he might jeopardise his chances of protecting her in the long term.

  Complicating everything was just how much she loved her sister. Enough to do anything for her. Enough to go into serious denial? Enough to cling to her future as a Holloway?

  It was a fucking impossible situation.

  He wanted to go cave man. Throw her over his shoulder and drag her out of here.

  Like that would do any good.

  It was the hardest thing he’d ever done, but he held himself in place and watched her disappear.

  If she were going to meet Lewis, it was a good thing she didn’t suspect anything—she’d have nothing to hide—and nothing was going to happen to her in the hotel in the middle of the day, right? He had to believe that, or he might just go crazy.

  He forced himself to recall how she’d left things with Lewis yesterday. They’d both been happy, in the honeymoon stages of their fledgling bond. Eventually things would go wrong between the two of them and Selina would find herself in danger, Jack knew that, but forcing himself to be rational, he had trouble believing it would happen today. Lewis was enjoying getting to know Selina. Most likely it would be months, possibly years, before things dissolved.

  Clear, but at this moment, not present danger.

  The best way he could help Selina was to find some way of putting Lewis behind bars, and he’d spent the time since he’d left Selina’s room just before dawn thinking about how he could make that happen. Given the lack of evidence, the only way they were going to get him for Andrew’s murder was with a confession. Something that seemed extremely unlikely. But he had another idea.

  Lewis had killed twice by the time he was eighteen. Jack’d bet his last dollar that he’d done it again during the course of building and running his business empire. If that theory could be proved, Lewis would be behind bars just the same as if it was for Andrew’s murder. Jack had made a good start, putting together a l
ist of Holloway Industries business associates or competitors that had gone missing or ended up dead, resulting in windfall gains for Lewis. There were a couple of suspicious circumstances that warranted further investigation.

  Problem was, it was going to take time.

  Perhaps he should go to de Crespigny. He didn’t want to leave Selina here alone, but he might make faster progress if he talked the problem through with Charles, got his input. Decision made, he turned, heading along the stretch of corridor where Andrew was shot, towards the back exit.

  He knew de Crespigny was understaffed at the moment, but if he explained the situation, highlighted the urgency, the danger—

  He was so focused on his need to catch Lewis, to keep Selina safe, he’d dropped his guard. By the time he realised something was wrong, realised that the two men coming in his direction were actually coming for him, it was too late.

  They were on him before he could react.

  Selina.

  Last thought. And then he wasn’t thinking at all.

  ***

  Well, that wasn’t the post-coital reunion she’d imagined.

  What was Jack’s problem?

  She couldn’t believe he’d tried to give her money. Like she was some kind of hooker. None of her previous lovers had been that blatant about it.

  Selina jabbed the button to the lift viciously.

  And wasn’t the timing ironic? Just when she’d been gushing to herself about how he always treated her with respect, like an equal. It’s not like she’d had them halfway down the aisle already, but any future they might have had, he’d just destroyed with his possessive antics.

  The lift arrived and she stepped in.

  Who was she kidding, with all her giddy mushy gush? It wasn’t like they’d had a chance for a future anyway. They were stuck together in this hotel for the week, they’d grappled over a missing necklace, and they’d shared one amazing night. None of that had the makings of a solid long-term relationship. She couldn’t believe she’d allowed herself to start believing it was something more than it was. She wasn’t one of life’s dreamers—she couldn’t afford to be. It was about time she remembered that.

  The lift landed at her floor and she strode out.

  And what was his issue with Lewis?

  Admittedly, Keith had not painted a very attractive picture of her great-uncle, but look at the source. She knew Lewis was a little stilted and quirky, but was that a reason for Jack to order her to stay away from him?

  She opened the door to her room and stood, hands on hips, looking around her, still fuming. She still had a good half an hour until her meeting with Lewis, and she needed to calm down.

  Her eyes landed on her laptop case. Maybe she would do some work after all. That would keep her occupied. She plonked down into the armchair, reached for the laptop bag on the carpet next to her and unzipped it. As she pulled out the computer, a package fell to the ground.

  The letters she’d found in the linen room. She’d hidden them there as soon as Jack had left in the wee hours of Wednesday morning. After nonna’s totally lacklustre reaction to the discovery and everything else that had happened, Selina had forgotten about them.

  She picked them up and spent a few long seconds looking at them.

  She hadn’t intended to read them. Not at all. They were private, between nonna and Andrew. Except Andrew was long dead and nonna didn’t want them.

  Shouldn’t someone read them? Otherwise, they might as well have stayed lost forever.

  She picked one up, a strange sensation coursing up and down her spine, pooling in her belly. It felt illicit, but it wasn’t really, was it?

  Opening the folded page, she started to read. Lifted her wide eyes and turned the pages face down for a second, then recommenced reading.

  She’d been expecting adorably awkward poetry, naïve sentiments of love ever-lasting, imbued with the innocence and fervour of youth.

  These were not love letters.

  Closer to a diary. Confessions of the heart, yes; teenage angst, yes; poetic, yes, in a way, but not of the kind she’d been expecting. What Andrew had read out loud to nonna and what he’d actually written were two very different things.

  He is everywhere. Like a shadow, a ghost. He lies in wait, always, but for what? What does he want from me? I don’t know him. I don’t know him at all.

  I finally kissed a girl. She’s so pretty. She can’t speak much English, but I don’t care. It’s probably better that way. What would I say to her anyway?

  Identical but not the same. Not the same. Not the same.

  The best bit of my life is her. I live to see her, to kiss her, to touch her. If it weren’t for her …

  Last night I dreamed I was flying. When I woke up, I was crying.

  Maria is pregnant. Fuck. Double fuck. I can’t marry her. I can’t marry anyone. I haven’t even finished school.

  Twin bond. Invisible but undeniable. How to break the unseeable, the unbreakable. I’d kill myself if I didn’t think he’d be on the other side waiting for me.

  I dreamed last night of when we stole a whole tray of jam tarts from the kitchen. Under the tables in the dining room, only the two of us, and we scoffed the lot. Why can’t it be like that again? Why can’t we be like when we were six? Or was he like he is now then, and I just didn’t see it? Sometimes I think I’m going crazy.

  He burned everything. I hate him. I hate him. I hate him.

  I’m leaving. I can’t stand it anymore. As soon as my last exam is done, I’m out of here. The Gold Coast. Freedom. I lie awake at night, and I dream about it. Maria can come too. There’s nothing for her here. It’s my kid, after all. I don’t want it raised like I was. I’ll give her a ring if that’s what she wants.

  Maria is teaching me Italian. We’re going to pretend to be Italian. That way, he’ll never find us.

  Happy, happy times! I know how to get the money. I know what I have to do. I’m just waiting for the right opportunity.

  He knows. He knows something. He won’t let me go. Ever. Ever. Ever.

  I came in after cricket practice this evening and he was going through my drawers. He found my Gold Coast postcards. The prick. The dumb cunt prick. I had to tell him something. I told him I wanted to open a chain of luxury resorts up there. He thinks we are going to do it together. As if I want a hotel. After I leave, I’ll be happy if I never see the inside of a hotel again in my whole life. And as if I’d do anything with him. That’s the point, stupid prick. I can’t go to the Gold Coast now. He’ll look for me there. So he’s taken that from me too. That piece of me. Me. I’ll go somewhere else. Somewhere even further away. Fiji. Yeah, Fiji.

  She finished reading. She slowly re-folded the letters and re-stashed them in her laptop case.

  These letters were … She couldn’t think what they were. Her heart knew—it was beating fast and light and trippy. Her stomach knew, it was tight and churning. But her mind was curiously blank.

  Andrew had never made it to Fiji.

  Oh Andrew. You were right to be scared.

  There. A thought.

  Andrew had believed Lewis would kill him.

  Andrew had wound up dead.

  She looked at her watch. It was time to meet Lewis.

  ***

  ‘Sorry I’m a little late,’ Selina said, taking a seat opposite Lewis and shooting a brilliant, toothy smile right at him. There was only one way to deal with this situation, and that was to show no fear.

  Lewis didn’t reply, just stared at her, gaze intense and unfathomable.

  A scuttling sensation, right between her shoulder blades. Did he know what she knew? Did he know what she’d read?

  Of course not. She was projecting. It was paranoia pure and simple. No fear. ‘You wanted to see me?’

  ‘I’m not pleased, Selina.’

  She pulled back in shock. It was only half-pretend. ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘It’s been brought to my attention that you visited Keith Turnbull yesterday.’


  The scuttling took more definite form. A little line of ants tracked across her back, set out down her spine.

  How did Lewis know that?

  Had Keith told him? No, that made no sense. Keith was scathing in the extreme in his assessment of Lewis. She was sure there was no way they were in contact and never had been. So how?

  He’d had her followed. Now a whole army of ants, thousands of them, were crawling up and down her spine. She fought to push down a rising tide of panic.

  Every word Andrew had written was true, her gut screamed at her. Every single word.

  ‘What do you mean, it was brought to your attention?’ she asked with as much sass as she could muster. If she knew nothing, if she hadn’t read Andrew’s letters … If she hadn’t just fought with Jack about Lewis … Oh God, Jack had been desperate to prevent this meeting from happening. He must know something.

  She couldn’t think about that right now. She had to stay focused. If she knew nothing, she would be angry and appalled by what Lewis had just said. Hence, that’s what she’d be. ‘Are you saying … Are you having me followed?’ She attempted a combination of confused and disgusted.

  Lewis looked at her a long moment. Was he buying it? She couldn’t tell. The room was tense and silent, like it too was waiting with bated breath.

  ‘You are my granddaughter,’ he said eventually. ‘My heir. People in our position need to be careful. Perhaps you think it is too much, but I would not risk anything happening to you. I would not risk you … associating with the wrong people.’

  Jack—was he talking about Jack?

  What did Jack know exactly? And how? He was a private investigator—had he picked up on a tail, or something PI like that? And if someone had followed them to Keith’s … Had they been followed home as well?

  A wave of nausea hit. Oh God! Her sister was inside that house.

  She wanted to get up and walk straight back out the door. Find Jack and make him tell her what he knew. Share with him what she had learned.

  She wanted to put some distance between herself and this man who’d had her followed. This man who was currently ‘not pleased’ with her.

  But that wasn’t the smart option. She couldn’t tip her hand; she had to play it cool. Which meant sitting right here and not letting on that anything was wrong.